"I can't believe Rudi's pulling that on Zev." Conner said once they were safely in Carmine's car. It was the first thing he'd said since they left the school. "And I can't believe he's letting her."
"She guilted him into it." Carmine said, feeling the sudden need to stick up for Zev.
"How would you know?" Conner asked her.
"You heard her – this is the second time they've talked."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean she guilt-tripped him the first time." Conner said darkly. Carmine heard him mumble, "Maybe we shouldn't trust him after all."
"After all he's done for you?" Carmine asked. Sure, she might have had her problems with Zev, but she would have thought Conner wouldn't be quite so quick to turn on him. Conner looked at her sideways.
"That must have been some heart-to-heart you guys had." he said after a minute.
"I heard Rudi threatening him before." Carmine admitted.
"What? When?"
"Couple weeks ago, I guess."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Conner asked.
"Long story." Carmine said. "I guess I just expected a little more loyalty from you guys."
"Loyalty's been kind of scarce at home." Conner shrugged.
They pulled into a parking lot at the back of the university. It was the only lot at the school where she could ever find a space.
"Wait – why are we at the college?" Conner asked.
"It has the biggest library in the city." Carmine told him. And she should know.
They headed straight up to the sixth floor, made a left off the elevator, and another left when they hit the windows. Carmine immediately recognized the covers of the books as she walked down the aisle; it reminded her of eighth grade. Now, if she could only remember which books had told her about incubi in the first place.
"I can't believe you know exactly which section all these books are in." Conner said. Carmine couldn't tell if he was impressed or not.
"Why not? Haven't you ever known where a certain section of the library was?" she asked.
"No. 'Cause I'm not a dork." Conner grinned.
"Hey! I'm not a dork!" Carmine told him.
"You sure about that?" Conner grinned in a way Carmine almost never saw from him – it kind of reminded her of Zev. She decided not to mention it to him.
"Oh, shut up." she rolled her eyes. She turned her attention to the books, pulling anything promising off the shelf and handing it to Conner. They'd only gone about four feet when Conner stopped her.
"Think we can start with these..." Conner scanned the pile, "eleven books?"
"Uh, sure." She didn't realize she'd given him that many.
They headed over to a table. Carmine grabbed the first book off the pile, and Conner took the second.
"So, you were surprised they were talking about Adam." Carmine said as she flipped through the pages.
"Yeah." Conner said.
"So...what did you think they were talking about?" Was he really going to make her ask straight out?
Conner pressed his lips together for a second before answering.
"Problems at home." he said. "Did you know incubuses and succubuses are basically the same thing?"
YOU ARE READING
Blood Relatives
VampireThat showdown in the woods last year really got to Carmine. She doesn't want to admit it, but she hasn't been the same since. She's been looking over her shoulder, waiting for something to lunge at her from the shadows. But just when she thinks she...
